Improvement in brake-clutches



4T;` A', 4w E s Tun, Brakeflutches.

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THE GRAPHIC C0, PHOTO-L|TH.39& 4l P ARK PLACEJLY.

UNITED STATEs PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. WESTON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO HIM'SELF AND JOHN HEIN S, OF SAME PLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BRAKE-CLUTCHES.

Specification forming part of i Letters Patent No. 155,779, dated OctJber 6, 1874; application filed September 3, 1874.

OAsE B.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatlI, THOMAS A. WESTON, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Brake Clutch, of which the following is a speciiication:

The object of my invention is to clutch hoisting-barrel or other elevator or driver to, and release it from, a shaft; and this object I accomplish by the mechanism illustrated in Figs. l and 2 of the accompanying drawing, which I will noW proceed to describe.

A flanged friction Wheel, A, is secured to the shaft B, and is contained Within a box or case formed on the hoisting drum D by the flange a. of the said drum,its rim al, and a cap# plate, abolted to the said rim. The drum, with its boX, is loose on the shaft, and can be clutched to, or released from, the same, as eX plained hereafter. F is a lever, pivoted at b to the cap-pl ate a? of the hoisting drum, and is connected, at the point d, to one end of the friction-band E, which surrounds the friction- Wheel A, and is connected, at its opposite end d', to the rim of the drum. The lever is slotted, or otherwise constructed so as to avoid contact With the shaft B, and is connected, at the extremity of its short arm, by a pin, e, to a friction-disk, G, the beveled edge of which is adapted to an `opening of corresponding shape in a plate, H, secured to the faceof the friction-Wheel A, the said disk being attached v to a sleeve, I, to be so controlled by a lever or otherwise that the friction-disk can be readily ,applied to, orwithdrawn from, the plate H.

When the lever F is in the position indicated by the dotted line or in the position shown by full lines in Fig. 2, the friction-band E is expanded, and free from contact With the periphery of the Wheel A; but, when the said lever is moved to the position indicated by the dotted line y, the friction-band is contracted,

and, embracing the periphery of the frictionwheel, clutches the vdrum to,`a'nd causes it to turn in the same direction as, the shaft. When the said lever is released, it is restored to its original position by the recoil of a spring, k, connected to its long arm and to .the disk G, the frictionband being thereby expanded, and the drum released.

The lever F is operated, in the present instance, by means of the friction-disk G, Which,

When forced inward against the block H, will be turned With the latter in the same direction as the shaft, thus causing the lever to turn upon its fulcrum until the friction-band is contracted and the drum clutched, when the whole of the parts will rotate as a unit in the same direction, and, on simply drawing back the disk from the plate H, the lever Will be operated by its spring k, as before described, in such a manner as to release the drum,

I Wish it to be understood that, although I prefer to employ this simple friction-diskl as a means of operatin g the lever, I do not confine myself toits use, as any friction-al device by which the lever could be connected to, and disconnected from, the shaft or friction-wheel A might be used.

I have illustrated a hoistingdrum, D, in the drawing 5 but it Will be evident that my invention can be used as Well for clutching` and releasing a chain-Wheel pulley, spur-Wheel, or other rotating driver.

I claim as my invention- The combination of a friction-Wheel A on a shaft, B, a loose drum or Wheel, D, a frictionband, E, the lever F, and a friction device for operating the said lever, all substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

, THOS. A. WESTON.

Witnesses:

v E. H. BAILEY,

HARRY SMITH. 

